The Winter Olympics has launched a probe into why some of its medals have broken in half.
Several athletes have reported problems with their awards, with at least four Olympians revealing their medals snapped off their ribbon shortly after receiving it.
American Breezy Johnson won gold in alpine skiing – then her medal broke while jumping up and down in celebration.
She told reporters: “So there’s the medal. And there’s the ribbon.
“And here’s the little piece that is supposed to go into the ribbon to hold the medal, and yeah, it came apart.”
She added: “It is heavy, it’s broken. I was jumping up and down in excitement, then it just fell off.”
One theory blames Italian law for the defective medals.
A source claimed that the medals are made to have a built-in breakaway mechanism to prevent individuals from being choked.
Breezy Johnson, pictured holding one half of her broken gold medal
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This breakaway mechanism is then being triggered during celebrations as force is applied.
US figure skater Alysa Liu saw similar issues with her medal after winning gold in the team event.
She posted a video to TikTok of the medal separated from the ribbon.
Liu captioned her clip: “My medal don’t need the ribbon.”
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US figure skater Alysa Liu also saw her medal snap in two
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Alysia Liu (left) posted on social media that her medal ‘don’t need the ribbon’
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In the comments, ice skating teammate Amber Glenn said teammate and ice dancer Evan Bates had warned them about the medals.
The Americans have not been the only team to be affected by the issue.
German biathlete Justus Strelow’s medal broke during celebrations after he claimed bronze in the biathlon’s mixed relay event.
Swedish cross-country skier Ebba Andersson’s silver medal also snapped.
German biathlete Justus Strelow, pictured wearing his bronze medal – before it broke
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Andersson told Swedish broadcaster SVT: “The medal fell in the snow and broke in two.
“Now I hope the organisers have a Plan B for broken medals.”
Andrea Francisi, Milan-Cortina 2026’s chief games operation officer said: “We are fully aware of the situation. We are looking into exactly what the problem is.”
“We are going to pay particular attention to the medals, and obviously this is something we want to be perfect when the medal is handed over because this is one of the most important moments for the athletes.”
The medal design features a disc of ice made of two halves united by the Olympic and Paralympic symbols.
The games have not confirmed if the holders of broken medals will receive replacements.
At the last Summer Games in Paris, more than 200 athletes saw their medals start wearing away altogether.
Some 220 athletes, or around four per cent of all medal recipients, had to apply for replacements.
